US3060477A

US3060477A - Apparatus for removing phonograph record labels

Info

Publication number: US3060477A
Application number: US694602A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul H Wechsler
Original assignee: Capitol Records LLC
Current assignee: Capitol Records LLC
Priority date: 1957-11-05
Filing date: 1957-11-05
Publication date: 1962-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 1979-10-30
Also published as: NL108607C; GB905830A; NL232873A

Description

Oct. 30, 1962 P. H. wEcHsLER 3,060,477

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PHONOGRAPH RECORD LABELS INVENTOR, /U H UECHSEAQ BY w Mx 3,060,477 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PHONOGRAPH RECORD LABELS Filed Nov. 5, 1957 Oct. 30, 1962 P. H. wEcHsLER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mow INVENTOR, /O/QU ff. Z/EHSZE@ ou., M

@Ime/V556 Oct. 30, 1962 P. H. wEcHsLER APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PHONOGRAPH RECORD LABELS Filed Nov. 5, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 M w@ W w Oct. 30, 1962 P. H. WECHSLER APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PHONOGRAPH RECORD LABELS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 5, 1957 B5 Zwm Oct. 30, 1962 p. H. wr-:cHsLER 3,060,477

' APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PHoNoGRAPH RECORD LABELS Filed Nov. 5. 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,050,477 Patented ct. 30, 1962 tice 3,060,477 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING PHNOGRAPH RECRD LABELS Paul H. Wechsler, Scranton, Pa., assigner to Capitol Records, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 5, 1957, Ser. No. 694,602 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-77) This invention relates to the phonograph record art and has particular reference to apparatus for removing the paper labels from plastic phonograph records.

The bulk of the present day phonograph records are made of a thermoplastic material such as a vinyl copolymer and are provided with annular paper labels on the center driving area of the record on both side thereof. Large quantities of these records are produced which are utimately never sold due to obsolescene of the recorded material, such as popular songs and the like. It has been the practice to salvage as much of the relatively expensive thermoplastic material of such obsolete records as possible for re-molding into new records. Heretofore, due to the impracticability of removing the paper labels from the center sections, it has been the practice to punch the label area from the remainder of the record, leaving only the annular grooved portion of the record suitable for re-use in making new records. The punched-out label sections were sold as scrap at a much lower cost than the labelfree grooved portions, for use in low quality molded goods where the presence of a substantial amount of paper as a ller could be tolerated.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is, therefore, to provide apparatus whereby the labels may be removed from phonograph records in an economical manner so as the permit the salvaging of substantially the entire plastics portions of the records.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wholly automatic machine for the removal of paper labels from plastic phonograph records.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention it is believed will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section elevation taken substantially on the line 2 2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 3 3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View Itaken substantially on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating `details of the washing and drying apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a conventional phonograph record, illustrating in phantom lines the path of travel of the wire wheel brushes.

FIG. 8 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 8 8 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 9 9 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a sectional 'view taken substantially on the line 10-10 of FIG. 2.

Briefly, this invention eomprehends within its scope the discovery that Ithe paper labels of plastic phonograph records can be completely removed, without removal of any substantial portion of the plastic material of the records themselves, by softening the labels with water or some other liquid which is a non-solvent for the plastic, and then subjecting the label areas to the abrasive action of Wire brushes revolving at a speed suticiently high to abrade, tear and remove the labels, but suiciently low to avoid damage to or removal of the plastic material. The apparatus of the present invention includes means for automatically feeding records, oneby-one, through the bites between cooperating pairs of wire brushes, and means for washing and drying the de-labeled records.

Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a record feeding unit generally indicated 15, and a de-labeling unit generally indicated 16. The feeding unit 15 includes a pair of side plates 20 and 2l, rigidly connected to the de-labeling unit, the plates being maintained in the spaced parallel relationship shown by means of a pair of cross-bars 22 and 23. A pair of endless chain convenyors 24 and 2S are positioned between the

plates

20 and 21, the

sprockets

26 and 27 for the conveyors being carried on

shafts

28 and 29, respectively. The conveyors are driven so that the upper runs thereof move to the right as seen in FIG. l and FIG. 2, by means of a motor 30 and chain transmission 3l which includes a driven sprocket 32 keyed to the shaft 29.

A bracket member 35 extends transversely between and is secured to the

plates

20 and 21 adjacent the discharge ends of the conveyors. Supported on the bracket member is a pair of upright, spaced

stop members

36 and 37 connected at the tops thereof by a cross-bar 38. From an inspection of FIG. 2 it will be apparent that the lowerrnost portions of the stop members are spaced above a plane dened by the upper surfaces of the upper runs ot the conveyors 24 and 2S, the spacing being slightly greater than the thickness of a conventional phonograph record, but less than the thickness of two such records stacked in superimposed relation.

Record engaging means are provided on the

conveyors

24 and 25, and as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, these means may include a plurality o-f pairs of hook members 40 secured to the chains of the conveyors and projecting upwardly therefrom. The overall vertical dimension of the projecting portion of each such hook member is slightly less than the thickness of a single conventional phonograph record. The hook members on the two conveyors are transversely aligned and the hook members of each conveyor are spaced apart a distance at least slightly greater than the diameter of the records being operated upon.

The de-labeling unit 16 includes a housing comprising a top Wall 50,

side walls

51 and 52 and

end walls

53 and 54, all supported upon a suitable framework (not shown). Means are provided for conveying individual records longitudinally through the housing and as shown in the drawings these means may include a plurality of pairs of rubber driving rolls 55-55f and 56-561, the rolls of each pair being axially aligned in a common vertical plane and cooperating together to form a bite between which the records are pulled. The rolls are mounted on shafts 58-581 and 59-591 extending through apertures in the side walls 5l and 52,

bearings

58A and 59A being therein provided.

Means are provided for driving the rolls in the directions of the arows in FIG. 3 and at a peripheral speed of about 20 feet per minute so that the records are conveyed through the housing at this approximate lineal speed. As shown in the drawings, these means include a motor 6i) which drives a sprocket 61 through a suitablel chain transmission 62. The sprocket 61 is keyed to a shaft 63 journalled in bearing brackets 64 and 65. Also keyed to the shaft is a sprocket 66 connected by means of a chain transmission 67 to a sprocket 68 keyed to a second shaft 69 journalled in bearing brackets 70 and 71. Keyed to the

shafts

63 and 69 are a pair of identical, relatively

small diameter sprockets

72 and 73 operating above openings 74 and 75 in the top wall 50, these sprockets being connected to relatively

large diameter sprockets

76 and 77 respectively through

chain transmissions

79 and 80. The

sprockets

76 and 77 are connected to one end of each of the

roller shafts

58a and 58e.

A driving gear 80a is keyed to the shaft 58a, and a gear 80e is keyed to the shaft 58e. The gear 80a is engaged with an idler gear 81 which in turn is engaged with a gear 80b on the shaft 58h, the gear 80b being engaged with a second idler gear 81a which in turn is engaged with a gear 80C on the shaft 58C. The gear 80e is engaged with an idler gear 81C which in turn is engaged with a gear 80d on the shaft 58d. It will be understood that the train of gears thus described causes the rolls 55a-55e to be rotated simultaneously in the directions indicated in FIG. 3.

The other end of the shaft 58a is provided with a gear a which engages with an idler gear 91 which in turn engages with a gear 90 on the shaft 58, thus driving said shaft (see FIG. 9). The gear 90 also engages with a gear 92 on the shaft 59 to drive that shaft in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 2. The gear 90a also engages with a gear 92a on the shaft 59a to drive that shaft in the same direction. A similar arrangement of gear 90j on shaft 581, idler gear 91a, gear 90e on shaft 58e, gear 92e on shaft 59e and gear 92f on shaft 59]c drives the

shafts

58j, 59e and 59f in the directions of the arrows of FIG. 3. A gear 90b on shaft 58b drives a gear 92h on 59b, a gear 90C on shaft 59e drives a gear 92C on shaft 59C, and a gear 90d on shaft 58d drives a gear 92d on shaft 59d to complete the means for driving the rolls in the directions of the arrows of FIG. 3.

Means are provided for softening the record labels during the travel thereof through the housing and as shown in the drawings these means may include a plurality of longitudinally perforated water spray pipes mounted transversely of the housing above and below the rolls as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6. The system of pipes generally indicated 101 in FIG. 9 supplies water to the spray pipes. The water and label particles fall into a drain pan 105 and through the outlet 106 into a surge tank 107 provided with a lter 108.

Abrasion means are provided for removing the softened labels from the records and as shown these means may include a plurality of pairs of cylindrical wire brushes 11G-110C and lll-111C, the brushes of each pair being axially aligned in a common vertical plane and cooperating together to form a bite between which the records are passed by the driving rolls described above. The rolls are detachably mounted on shafts 112-112c and shafts 113-113c respectively. The shafts 112-112c extend through apertures 115 in the

side walls

51 and 52 and are journalled in bearings 116 and 117 in

side plates

118 and 119, respectively, secured to the top wall 50. The shafts 113-1130 extend through apertures 120 in the

side walls

51 and 52 and are journalled in

bearings

121 and 122 in

side plates

123 and 124, respectively.

Means are provided for driving the brushes in the directions of the arrows of FIG. 3 and at a speed of roughly 300-400 r.p.m. As shown in the drawings, these means may include the relatively large sprockets and 131 keyed to the

shafts

63 and 69 and operating above

openings

132 and 133, the sprockets being connected in driving relationship to the relatively small diameter sprockets 135 and 136 keyed to

shafts

112 and 112e` by means of chain transmissions and 141 respectively. A driving gear is keyed to the shaft 112 on the end remote from the sprocket 135 and engages an idler gear 146 which in turn engages a gear 145:1 on the shaft 11211. Similarly, a driving gear 145e is keyed to the shaft 112e, engaging an s' idler gear 146a which in turn engages a gear 145b on the shaft 112b.

The lower set of brushes 111-111c is driven by means of a pair of idler gears 150 and 151 adjustably mounted on the plate 118 as will be described in detail below. The gear 150 engages with the gear 145 and with a gear 155 keyed to the shaft 113, the gear being engaged with an idler gear 156 which in turn engages a gear 155a on the shaft 113a. The gear 151 engages with the gear 145e and with a gear 155e on the shaft 113e, the gear 155C engaging an idler gear 156:1 which in turn engages a gear 155b on the shaft 11311.

Means are provided for adjusting the vertical spacing between the brushes 11G-110C and the corresponding brushes 111-111c. As shown in the drawings, the

plates

118 and 123 are maintained in spaced relation by means of

jack screws

160 and 161 interconnecting the plates at each end thereof. A similar pair of jack screws (not shown) is provided for the pair of

plates

119 and 124. The roller gear 150 is keyed to a stub shaft 165 carried on the end of an arm 166 which is pivoted to the plate 118 by means of a pin 167, the arm being locked in various positions by means of a bolt 168 passed therethrough and through an arcuate groove 170 in the plate 118. Identical adjustable support means are provided for the idler gear 151 as shown in FIG. 8.

Means are provided for sealing the housing against splashing of water therefrom and for drying the de labeled records. As shown best in FIGS. 3 and 6 these means include horizontal slits and 181 in the end walls. The slit 180 is provided with a flexible closure comprising a pair of rubber strips 182 and 183 which de tlect as shown to permit entry of a record into the house. Similarly, the slit 181 is provided with a pair of rubber strips 184 and 185 which deflect as shown in FIG. 6 to permit a record to exit from the housing, the strips functioning in the manner of a squeegee to wipe water from the surfaces of the record. Mounted immediately adjacent the strips exteriorly of the housing is a pair of perforated air blast pipes and 191, air under pressure being delivered thereto through a conduit 192.

In operation of the machine thus described, the records to be de-labeled are preferably pre-soaked in water for 20 minutes or more to soften the labels. This pre-soaking is not essential, but it is desirable since it permits a wider spacing of the brushes than would otherwise be possible, thus prolonging the effective life of the brushes. A stack 200 of the pre-soaked records 201 is placed on the feeding unit 15 in the position shown in FIGS. l and 2. The phantom lines of FIG. 1 illustrate the varying sizes of records which can be accommodated in the machine.

The

endless chain conveyors

24 and 25 are set into operation, either before or after the stack of records is deposited in the position shown, and the feeder assembly automatically feeds the records, one by one, through the slit 180 in the end wall 53 and thence into the interior of the de-labeling unit 16. As will be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 2, this automatic feeding is accomplished through the cooperation between the pairs of hook members 40 and the

stop members

36 and 37. As shown, the hook members push the lowermost record out from under the stack, the stop members preventing removal of all but said lowermost record.

The record 201, immediately upon entry of the leading edge thereof, is contacted by the pair of rolls 55 and 56 and drawn thereby between and through the bite formed by the rolls. The label areas 205 (both top and bottom) of the record are simultaneously drenched with water from the rst pair of spray pipes 100. The record is then drawn by the succeeding pairs of rolls through each set of brushes, the label areas being thoroughly soaked at each pair of brushes by means of the succeeding pairs of spray pipes 100. The brushes, rotating in the directions of the arrows of FIG. 3, exert a continual abrasive action against the surfaces of the labels, the path of travel of the brushes being indicated by the phantom lines of FIG. 7. By the time the record has passed between the last pair of brushes 110e and 111c, the labels have been completely removed, the run-01T water and the bits of paper from the labels falling by gravity into the pan 105 and thence into the surge tank 107 wherein the paper is filtered from the water.

The

rolls

55e, 56e, 55f and 56f convey the de-labeled records through the slit 181 wherein the rubber strips 184 and 185 remove most of the surface moisture from the records. Final drying is accomplished by the air blast through the

pipes

190 and 191.

The apparatus of the present invention provides a quick and inexpensive means for automatically removing the labels. `It has been found that, while the abrasive, tearing action of the wire brushes is adequate to cleanly remove the labels, it has no, or substantially no effect upon the plastic material of the record itself, so that there is no appreciable loss of the valuable plastic material.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for removing paper `labels from phonograph records, comprising: a feeding unit adapted to receive a stack of records and to feed successive records individually from the bottom of said stack in a horizontal direction; a de-labeling unit positioned in horizontal alignment with said feeding unit to receive said individual records successively; a plurality of pairs of driving rolls mounted in said de-labeling unit on opposite sides of a plane in horizontal alignment with the path of travel of records from said feeding unit, said pairs of driving rolls being respectively spaced from each other and from said feeding unit a distance less than the diameter of said records to positively convey said records through said delabeling unit at a xed rate of speed; opposed cylindrical Wire brushes mounted in pairs in said de-labeling unit between adjacent upper and lower rolls of said pairs of driving rolls; means for rotating said wire brushes in opposite directions at peripheral speeds substantially greater than said xed rate of speed to act in opposite directions on the labels applied to said records without interfering with the passage of said records through said machine at said fixed rate of speed; water pipes disposed above said upper driving rolls and below said lower driving rolls and each incorporating means for directing Water onto the surface of the records at either side of the respective driving roll to soften the labels on the respective surfaces; and sealing means mounted in said de-labeling unit and positioned to wipe opposite sides of each record fed therefrom.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said wire brushes rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed from one side of the de-labeling unit at speeds on the order of 300-400 rpm.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 893,063 Evans July 14, 1908 1,444,207 Peneld Feb. 6, 1923 1,462,512 Loew July 24, 1923 1,953,352 Kranich Apr. 3, 1934 2,044,041 Wynne June 16, 1936 2,158,694 Fenton May 16, 1939 2,181,266 Durup Nov. 28, 1939 2,313,606 Webb Mar. 9, 1943 2,359,088 Croft Sept. 26, 1944 2,697,528 Bishop Dec. 21, 1954 2,718,895 Thomas Sept. 27, 1955